"There are a large numbers of expatriates from south India who are working in Doha, and with our increasing capacity we aim to offer our customers a superior travel experience and seamless connectivity into the State of Qatar.

"India is growing as an economic hub and shows enormous potential, and our growth strategy has always stressed the significance of the Indian market where we plan to seek even more capacity and increase frequency on existing routes."

Qatar Airways flies to 12 cities in India.

Earlier this month, Al Baker responded to criticism from US carriers — Delta, American and United — that Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates have received $42 billion in "unfair" subsidies from their governments since 2004 by accusing Delta of flying "crap airplanes that are 35 years old" (see news, March 18).